View Full Version : Hello from the latest newbie
Hello to all readers,:)
My name is Dave, I am 69 (next month) and have recently got interested in good sounding music. I started several years ago using a PC as a source for .mp3 files and this lead a few years ago to the purchase of a Vaio MM PC, VGX-XL201. This in turn lead to wanting a better quality 'end product'.
My current kit is the Vaio, Marantz PM6010 OSE KI amp, Marantz CD-63 mk II KI player (both off eBay), Mezzo 2 speakers, silver interconnects (from johnandchris on eBay) and DIY bi-wire speaker leads using plaited solid Cat 6 ethernet cable. I have recently bought QED Anniversary cable (again off eBay) and plan to swap them for the DIY speaker cables - wonder if I will notice any difference. I also have coupled up to the above a Sony BD-350 Blu-Ray player and a Sky HD box, with an old Sony turntable and Cambridge DVD57 player available to connect as and when required. My TV is a Bravia KDL-40W2000. (I think Sony kit is generally very good).
My reason for joining this forum developed from doing 'net' research on DACs to see if a DAC would improve the final product of the above kit. (I would be interested in any reader's opinions on this aspect).
I would ask for any responders to treat me gently - electronics in general and audio technology in particular are to me like quantum physics is to a caveman. I suspect many of you will believe that not all my acquisitions have been money well spent but I am also aware that, in this sphere, there are almost as many conflicting opinions as there are options.
I am located in Sheffield.
I like to think that I am open minded and eager to learn so I would be keen to receive any responses, including GENTLY critical ones.
Assuming anyone remains interested enough to reach the bottom of this epistle I look forward to hearing from them.
Dave.
Ali Tait
18-04-2009, 19:02
Hi and welcome! Sounds like a Beresford tc-7510 or 20 would be right up your street.
Hi Dave, welcome to the forum. I've not played around with DACs yet, but I'm tempted to see what the fuss is about with the Beresford 7520. Maybe when I finish mucking around with my turntable... :)
Spectral Morn
18-04-2009, 19:12
Hi Dave
Welcome to the forum....enjoy. Maybe you might like to post some photos of your system in the gallery section.
What kind of music do you like ?
regards D S D L
Beechwoods
18-04-2009, 19:38
Hi Dave, great to welcome you to the forum! We're a friendly and easy going bunch round here so have no fear on that account! It seems to be a generally accepted truth that a decent offboard DAC can make superb sounds of the most basic transport...
Hope you enjoy it here, and thanks for saying hello!
Hi Ali, Simon and Neil,
Thanks for the welcome and thoughts. My taste in music is very eclectic (right word ?), running from 50s, 60s and 70s pop, (none of the modern rubbish!!), to Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Weber and including Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Diamond, Watson, Jenkins.
As my wife does not completely share my love of good sound (she prefers much of the more recent stuff listed above but played on her Bose iPod sound deck - sorry about that !!) my system is based in our lounge on a Multiyork (Brighton, I think) hi-fi unit which is sagging under the weight and has to be supporteduder the centre andis therefore not much to look at but I will try to post a pic of it later.
I remain open to advice, (polite) suggestions, recommendations and offers of bargain priced kit that may improve my set up - please remember that I am a pensioner on limited income and born and bred in Yorkshire so bargains are essential !!
In response to Ali's greeting, "Hi and welcome! Sounds like a Beresford tc-7510 or 20 would be right up your street.", a Beresford TC-7520 is what my heart and head says I need but what my budget controller says I cannot afford. Still, I have a birthday coming up next month, maybe I might get lucky.
Thanks again,
Dave.
Hi Dave,
A very warm welcome to AOS :)
Nice introduction, and good to see a chap like you join us. Feel free to ask questions which you might feel are 'silly' and we'll do our best to help. I look forward to chatting to you in the main part of the forum.
Enjoy! :cool:
Marco.
Thanks to Nick and Marco for their response. I like the warm welcome I have received - I think that I am going to like it here !!
Dave.
Ali Tait
18-04-2009, 20:43
Hi Dave,
Well I don't think you could get anything to touch the Beresford at anywhere near the price.If the '20 is a bit steep,the '10 is a fair bit cheaper,or perhaps keep an eye out for a secondhand one on ebay? Come to think of it,perhaps someone here who has upgraded may be willing to sell their '10.
Thanks Ali,
I have done a search on eBay and currently there are only a couple of '10s listed, which I am watching. My problem, (and I suspect a lot of others'), is that I find it very difficult to settle for less than what I really want unless it is a real bargain, in which case I justify it by telling myself that it is a cheap interim option until the better option becomes affordable. Oh, the money I have spent using that logic - I shudder to even think about it !!
Dave.
Beechwoods
18-04-2009, 21:10
To be honest, from the rave reviews from trustworthy sources I've heard, full price on the 7520 is good value. I know it's caused t least one person here to ditch a far more expensive (3+ x more expensive) DAC...
It does like good supports though, funnily enough. We had a bit of a revelation at the Scalford Hall bake-off when Rob's 7520 got moved onto one of Steve's proper supports...
Hi Nick,
Thanks for your input. I'm afraid that I am going to expose my naivete here but does your comment "It does like good supports though, funnily enough. We had a bit of a revelation at the Scalford Hall bake-off when Rob's 7520 got moved onto one of Steve's proper supports... " mean that the 7520 needs to be on rock solid base as I have never heard this before and it is obviously critical if this is the case - thanks for the pointer.
I am slowly coming round to the conviction that I must have a 7520 but, having 'pushed the boat out' so many times recently (Mezzo 2s, Marantz KI amp and KI CD player and Senn HD280s), it is now high and dry on the rocks and the tide shows absolutely no sign of coming in in the foreseeable future. Ah well, I shall just have to enjoy what I have got for the moment.
Having lived in the same house for over 40 years I have a loft 'full' of stuff that I couldn't bring myself to throw away at the time (being a Yorkshireman may have something do do with this !!), maybe now is the time to try selling something on eBay instead of only buying.
Thanks again,
Dave
Beechwoods
18-04-2009, 22:10
Dave,
On the matter of supports, the Beresford sounds excellent without any special treatment is but it really sings when placed on a decent shelf. At the Scalford Hall event it was moved from the floor onto one of Steve Toy's Quadraspire Reference Acrylic stands (if I remember correctly) and the difference was startling - wider and more transparent soundstage, most noteably. I have cloth ears and the difference was clear.
Neil (Dalek Supreme :)) found the same with a 7510 he auditioned.
I think it's fair to say though that improved supports / shelving are one of those things that you can do later as a tweak. It's not like they're essential to getting the benefits of the DAC in the first place (there's plenty here that will testify to that). If you're interested in DIY acrylic shelves there are people here who have done that too. So the costs needn't be prohibitive.
Hi Beechwoods,
Thanks for the info. To be brief (it is 23.25 after all!!) I am interested in anything that: -
1) improves the end product and,
2) doesn't cost the earth and,
3) passes the 'Budget Controller's' idea of what lounge furniture should look like.
So DIY acrylic shelves may well fit the bill - please point me in the right direction for further information.
Thanks again,
Dave.
Beechwoods
18-04-2009, 22:34
Dave,
There are some thoughts, ideas and approaches worth checking out here and here:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2196
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2504
I hope this helps!
Ali Tait
18-04-2009, 23:02
Acrylic sheets can be bought cheaply on ebay :)
Spectral Morn
19-04-2009, 09:38
Thanks Ali,
I have done a search on eBay and currently there are only a couple of '10s listed, which I am watching. My problem, (and I suspect a lot of others'), is that I find it very difficult to settle for less than what I really want unless it is a real bargain, in which case I justify it by telling myself that it is a cheap interim option until the better option becomes affordable. Oh, the money I have spent using that logic - I shudder to even think about it !!
Dave.
Indeed that is a problem we both share.....I don't do it anymore !
Regards D S D L
Attn Ali and Nick:):):):)
This reply is aimed mainly at the above afore mentioned gentlemen (?)
You may recall that any supports that I were to consider had to fill 3 criteria. I have no wish to be rude to anyone (beauty being in the eye of the beholder) but the DIY supports featured in your link may well meet criteria 1 & 2 but would never meet criteria 3 I regret to advise - thanks anyway.
Dave.
Hello Dave,
Glad you're getting stuck in and enjoying yourself and receiving some useful replies!
Could I ask that you start a separate thread regarding your stand quest in 'The Artist's Palette', or if you wish the thread to be of a more general nature regarding optimising your system as a whole, then pop it into the 'Blank Canvas'?
This area of the forum is mainly for saying a quick "Hello". We try to encourage our members to use the main areas of the forum for any in-depth discussion on other matters. It makes it easier for relevant information to be archived in the correct area. In fact, a good idea would be to start a thread in the Gallery and show us pics of your room and system :)
Thanks for your co-operation :cool:
Marco.
Beechwoods
19-04-2009, 17:26
You may recall that any supports that I were to consider had to fill 3 criteria. I have no wish to be rude to anyone (beauty being in the eye of the beholder) but the DIY supports featured in your link may well meet criteria 1 & 2 but would never meet criteria 3 I regret to advise - thanks anyway.
:lol: no problem Dave. Steve Toy on here is the man when it comes to knowledge about supports. If you kick off a new thread to discuss it specifically, I'm sure he would be able to chip in with some ideas about more WAF-friendly kit. Unfortunately, I think the Quadraspires are £200 a level so may not meet requirement #1. There may be other alternatives out there though!
Steve Toy on here is the man when it comes to knowledge about supports.
LOL! As super-duper as Stevie-boy no doubt is on all matters stands (well, QS at least :eyebrows:) I'm sure he'll concede that I (and indeed others) are not exactly 'clueless' :ner: :lol:
;)
Marco.
Beechwoods
19-04-2009, 18:19
:uhho:
Ooh... touchy!! :ner:
It'll be open season for all those of you knowledgeable in the black-arts of stands and supports to show off your skills and help our man Dave out then!
:sofa: :lolsign:
Sorry Marco,
I'm new here, very old, easily confused and set in my ways I'm afraid - consider this thread closed !! I'll try to work out the correct place for future postings - this is the second time today you Monitors have had cause to point out my failings (see my posting in Private Exhibitions), and I thought joining this forum would make a change from my Financial Controller of 43 years doing exactly the same thing:lolsign:.
Dave.
LOL, Dave :eyebrows:
It's not a major issue, and there's no need for this thread to be closed - just keep the hi-fi chat for the main part of the forum, that's all :)
Do you have any pics you can post of your system in the Gallery?
Marco.
Hi Marco,
Another promise broken (thread closed) - this dialogue gets more and more like the ones I have with t'missus.:lolsign:
I will post a pic or 2 of my basic amateurish set up if I can work out how - pressing the 'Insert Image' icon doesn't seem to have any effect - do you have a crib sheet that will help the old and befuddled with such a complicated task?
Dave.
Beechwoods
19-04-2009, 19:49
Dave - there's a picture posting guide sticky at the top of the Gallery forum: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2
If you have any problems shout and one of us will help!
PS. The big difference between us and the 'financial controller' is that we all want to hear about your latest acquisitions, whereas based on my own personal experience, the missus never does!
Have a good one :)
Hi Nick,
Thanks for that - I'll have a look at the 'sticky''.
My Financial Controller is usually VERY interested in my latest acquisitions - the discussion usually starts with "How much did that cost?":steam:
Dave
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